The latest installment of recipe swap was themed seafood, which I was over-the-moon excited about. Again, this swap was hosted by Sarah, at A Taste of Home Cooking. I submitted Scallops with Tarragon Butter Sauce, and couldn’t wait to receive my assigned recipe. Honestly, I was slightly disappointed to find that I was assigned crab cakes. But not because I don’t like crab cakes, rather because I already have two crab cake recipes in my blog (Bethany Frankel’s Crab Cakes and Crab Cakes with Chiptole Mayo), and I really enjoyed both of them. But, that’s the spirit of the recipe swap; you never know what you’re going to get (you know, like a box of chocolates), and really, how could I be disappointed to make crab cakes – I love them!

Another great benefit of the recipe swaps is to connect with other bloggers, and many times, blogs you might not have otherwise visited. I’ve definitely visited The Redhead Baker blog before, and may have even bookmarked a handful of Coleen’s recipes, but I believe this would be the first time I’d be making one. And what a great recipe to make! The recipe originally comes from Cooking Light, and it certainly is a lightened up version of crab cakes, which I love. Less filler, more crab, exactly the way they should be.

I had gotten everything I needed for this recipe last week at the grocery store, and I generally am very good at knowing exactly what, and how much I have of everything in my kitchen. I was absolutely convinced that I had Old Bay seasoning, but come Sunday when I was putting these together, I didn’t. I Googled a recipe to make my own Old Bay (what would we do without Google?), and had most spices on hand, so just used what I had.

Coleen’s recipe included a tangy butter sauce to go with the crab cakes, which I thought sounded interesting. If you read either of my other crab cake recipe posts, you’d know that I am generally a creamy-sauce-with-my-crab-cakes kinda girl. But, I’m always happy to try something new! I’m not sure if this is the sauce pictured in Coleen’s picture, as her’s does look like a creamy mayo based sauce. Either that, or mine turned out completely different. But good different!

The tangy butter sauce was a great compliment to the crab cakes and the vegetables. While I was reducing the sauce, the vinegar smell was strong, so I was concerned it would be too acidic, but once I added the butter, it was much more subtle. The crab cakes were perfect! Meaty without a lot of filler, firm enough to stay together, but still fork-flakey like you’d want. Breading the outside in panko added a perfect amount of crunch. The vegetables were an added bonus. It was perfect that they roasted for the same amount of time it takes for the crab cake mixture to refrigerate and come together. Coleen’s recipe didn’t include green beans, but the original did, and I thought the plate needed some color, so I added those to the mix. However, I didn’t think they would need to roast for 30 minutes, so I added them into the vegetable mix after 15 minutes. Turns out, that’s exactly what the Cooking Light recipe instructed. Great instincts! Overall, it was a great little meal and I was happy to have tried a new crab cake recipe!

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with foil. Combine carrots, shallots, and red potatoes in a bowl and coat lightly with olive oil. Dump onto prepared baking sheet and spread out into a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and mix green beans in with the rest of the vegetables. Return to oven and roast for another 15 minutes.

3. Put remaining panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Remove crab mixture from refrigerator and divide into eight equal portions, forming each into a tight patty. Dredge each patty in the panko, evenly coating both sides. In a large frying pan, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and heat to medium. Once oil is ready, gently place four patties in the pan and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip patties and cook until browned, another 5 minutes or so. Transfer to a paper towel and repeat for remaining four patties.

4. In a saucepan, stir together chicken broth, vinegar and shallots. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5-8 minutes, until reduced by half. Remove from heat and swirl in butter. Spoon sauce over crab cakes and vegetables and serve.

About Me

Success and fails, I'm documenting my cooking and baking adventures. I enjoy making healthy, exciting, and generally simple food, although I may stray from time to time. I'm also a beginner brewer, so I'll share my beer triumphs and tribulations as well.